Symantec Corporation offered webmasters an anti-virus certification program designed to help ensure virus-free content on the Internet as well as corporate intranets. As unveiled today, "Protect Your Site" is a virtual certification program for Windows NT, Windows 95 and Macintosh Web sites.

"The 'Protect Your Site' certification program provides added security for both sides of the connection," said Mary Engstrom, general manager of the AntiVirus Business Unit at Symantec Corporation. "Webmasters provide a service to their customers by delivering content that has been screened for viruses and Web surfers can be more secure in the data downloaded from certified Web sites. Given that the Internet is a primary means of virus transmission today, why run the risk on either end?"

To authenticate their site, webmasters need only install a small program on their Web server which automatically detects the presence and status of Symantec's family of AntiVirus products, including Norton AntiVirus 2.0 for Windows NT, Norton AntiVirus 2.0 for Windows 95 or Symantec AntiVirus 4.5 for Macintosh. A certification logo in the form of a "Protect Your Site" icon and a date and time-stamped certificate will appear directly on the web server viewable as a GIF image.

"Because our web site is focused on Windows NT, the download section is our most popular page," said David Baker, president of Beverly Hills Software. "On a high volume site like ours, virus protection is a must. We use Symantec's Norton AntiVirus because it is the best product available, we know the product works and appreciate the integrity Symantec brings to the table. The 'Protect Your Site' program lets everyone who visits our site knows the effort we are putting in behind the scenes to guarantee that the files they are accessing are safe."

"Symantec's Protect Your Site program is perfect for businesses like ours," said Wayne Tempro, service manager/network engineer at Computer Advantage, a Florida-based Apple Premier Server Reseller. "Because we resell Web servers and host clients' Web sites, offering a virus free Internet presence of our own is extremely important. Thanks to 'Protect Your Site', every person that visits our page can do so with confidence. It protects our reputation and the reputation of the clients we host."

If the status of the Norton AntiVirus program changes, the "Protect Your Site" icon will update automatically. A site's icon will change if: (1) The Auto-Protect/Intercept feature is disabled; (2) Updated virus definitions are needed; or (3) The Norton AntiVirus software is no longer installed on the Web server.

Auto-Protect: The Background Insurance

The Auto-Protect feature of the Symantec family of AntiVirus products (known in Symantec AntiVirus for Macintosh as SAM Intercept) must be enabled for "Protect Your Site" certification. Auto-Protect and SAM Intercept provide continuous, unobtrusive, background protection. Files are automatically scanned when they are downloaded, opened, created, modified or run. If a virus is detected, Auto-Protect and SAM Intercept block access to the infected file, protecting applications, information, resources and assets.

Updated Definition Files: How Current Are You?

Virus definitions must be no older than 90 days to receive "Protect Your Site" certification. To ensure the most up-to-date definition files, webmasters can access Symantec's revolutionary LiveUpdate feature (called Update Virus Definitions in SAM, available via direct modem connection only) within their Norton AntiVirus product. With the click of a button, LiveUpdate detects an Internet connection or modem, automatically connects to a Symantec server, then downloads and installs the latest virus definitions. Symantec posts updates regularly on the first of each month - or more frequently in an emergency, such as the recent discovery of the Hare or latest strain of a Macro virus. Virus definitions are provided free of charge to all users of Norton AntiVirus products.

Webmasters currently running the Norton AntiVirus or SAM products on their server can access the "Protect Your Site" certification program free of charge by downloading the program from the Symantec Web site at www.symantec.com/avcenter. Symantec AntiVirus products have an estimated street price of $69.95 and are available from popular software retailers, superstores, office stores, corporate resellers, and mail order catalogs.

Symantec AntiVirus Research Center (SARC)

Both Symantec's family of AntiVirus products and the "Protect Your Site" certification program are backed by unsurpassed information, technology, and customer service. The Symantec AntiVirus Research Center (SARC) has a dedicated team of virus experts whose sole mission is to provide swift, global responses to computer virus threats, proactively research and develop technologies that eliminate such threats and educate the public on safe computing practices. As new computer viruses appear, SARC develops identification and detection for these viruses, and provides either a repair or delete option, thus keeping users protected against the latest virus threats.

SARC Also Maintains Symantec's Anti-virus Web Presence (www.symantec.com/avcenter) and posts updates regularly. Additional virus information and update services include: the Symantec BBS, the Symantec FTP and Web sites on the Internet, CompuServe, America Online and the Microsoft Network. Virus information is also available from the Virus Hotline, 541-9-VIRUS-9. For individual users who do not have online access, a disk-based update subscription service is available for an annual fee of $39.95 plus tax. Corporate customers receive regular updates on disk when they subscribe to Symantec's Upgrade Insurance Program.

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